Sunderland Creative Smart City libraries will be hubs for half term fun this month, offering activities and events for young people.
Activities will run from 21 – 28 February at Houghton and Washington libraries and the City Library at Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens.
With most of the events free to attend – only a small number will be ticketed – there is a range of sessions on offer for little ones right up to teenagers.
Sunderland City Council is also supporting National Year of Reading and hopes to inspire a love of reading among youngsters by inviting them to dive deeper into the things they love – no matter what the subject – through reading, during the half term break.
The National Year of Reading’s “Go All In” campaign aims to address a year on year decline in people reading for pleasure, which can cause a drop in confidence, skill and opportunity, by inspiring more people to read, make it accessible across more platforms, ensure it becomes part of everyday activities and make it relatable to modern culture.
For under fours, there will be Rhyme and Shine sessions at each site, providing a chance to enjoy singing, dancing and playing musical instruments – crafted to boost babies’ and toddlers’ language and literacy skills, while also providing a fun way to get active and socialise.
And what a packed week the Creative Smart City Hubs have planned.
Young people can get creative at Half Term Crafts and welcome in spring by creating their own custom birdbox and celebrating Chinese New Year with Year of the Horse activities.
Hubs at Houghton and Washington will each screen family film Elemental, which tells the story of Ember, a fiery-tempered young woman, who finds her friendship with go-with-the-flow Wade challenging her beliefs about the world around them.
Both sites will run a World Book Day Costume Exchange, where old costumes can be dropped off and pre-loved ones taken home. This will be open at both sites every day of half term, starting on Monday 23 February.
At Washington, there will also be the return of the popular new Maker Space workshops. The first, on Monday 23 February, will allow participants to use 3D modelling software to design a fidget spinner that will be created using a 3D printer. The second session on Friday 27 February will see attendees design and make a tote bag or cap. Both events have a small ticket price and can be booked via the Culture House website, which also has details of all the events and activities at the city’s libraries.
People of all ages will be able to enjoy talks from local authors at “Saturday Stories”. Fiona Duncan will take part on February 21st and it will be the turn of Victoria Downes on 28 February. Hearing from these writers will hopefully inspire people to explore their work and the genres their books are set in. 11 to 16-year-olds can enter the fantastical realm of Dungeons and Dragons, with sessions open to everyone from novices to seasoned adventurers, providing everyone with an exciting reading experience around the popular roleplay game.
Throughout the week there will be VR taster sessions at the Washington and Houghton hubs, as well as the Bridges Shopping Centre, where participants will be able to explore this incredible technology and experience everything from Wallace and Gromit to David Attenborough.
Cllr Beth Jones, Cabinet Member of Communities, Culture and Tourism at Sunderland City Council, said: “Our Creative Smart City Hubs put on a great programme of activity throughout the year and I’m sure this half term line up will have something for young people and families.”
The programme is being delivered by Culture House Sunderland, a multi-purpose cultural venue based at the heart of Keel Square, opening in spring 2026. The venue – The National Centre for Creative Smart Cities – will be home to the City Library, packed with dynamic, digitally powered, interactive and educating features, with a year-round programme of fun things to do and see.
More information about the events can be found at www.culturehousesunderland.co.uk/events
